The concept of providing an insect-free environment for animals has long been a desire of pet owners and others engaged in the care and feeding or animals. This is particularly true in the case of pet owners because domesticated animals such as dogs and cats are often in or around the home and are frequently in the company of people whose sensibilities are offended by the presence of insects. This situation is aggravated at mealtime when the need for sanitary conditions is greatest.
One solution to this problem is the Ant-Proof Animal Food Tray of U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,350. That patent describes a feeding tray which is circumscribed by a trough filled with an insecticide for the purpose of setting up a physical barrier over which ants cannot pass in their quest for food.
The concept of U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,350 suffers from several drawbacks. It is inconvenient because it is necessary to maintain a minimum level of the insecticide in the trough at feeding times in order to effectively discourage ants from entering the tray.
Also, it is impractical because the insecticide lies in an open trough and, therefore, it is likely to become diluted, contaminated or dissipated by evaportion.
It is also bothersome to the extent that the insecticidal trough must be emptied when it is not being used, for safety's sake, so that it will not be available to children or ususpecting adults.
Also, there is the danger that the open insecticidal trough will somehow contaminate the food in the tray. It is a common experience to see animals scavenge for food and, therefore, it is to be expected that any morsels which fall outside of the feeding bowl and into the insecticidal liquid will be followed by the feeding animal where, in their contaminated state, they may be consumed by the unsuspecting animal. This danger is compounded by the more obvious fact that the insecticidal liquid within the open trough is capable of being spilled and this can result in direct contact with the feeding animal. Such an occurrence could result in the adverse effects commonly associated with insecticidal poisons, namely, a burning sensation, loss of hair, blindness or the like.
In addition, the prior art concepts fails to take note of the several varieties of insects which are attracted to food. While crawling insects such as ants may to a certain extend be discouraged from entering the food tray of U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,350, it cannot effectively repel winged or hopping insects such as ticks, fleas or flies and the like.
Furthermore, the prior art concept does not provide for eliminating ants from the immediate vicinity of the feed area, but instead, only prevents them from entering the feed tray per se.
By contrast, applicant's invention is convenient, practical, effective and safe. The insecticidal cartridge which characterizes this invention not only discourages both crawling and winged insects from entering the food bowls but, in addition, it effectively repels them from the entire area of the feed tray by virtue of the insecticidal vapors which permeate the area in the vicinity of the feed bowl.
And because the insecticidal cartridge operates by vaporization, there is no likelihood of a purposeful or inadvertent contact with a harmful liquid.
Also, the insecticidal cartridge has an effective life of several weeks and, therefore, it does not require regeneration or the daily attention of the pet owner.
The instant invention is also safe. The insecticidal cartridge is housed beneath the tray and at no time comes in contact with the food or, in a preferred embodiment, with the feed bowls. In fact, the insecticide of this invention comes no closer to the food within the feed bowls than do the insecticidal compositions commonly used in commercial flea collars which, it should be noted, are constantly in the area of any food which is eaten by animals wearing such a device.
Thus, this invention is distinct from prior attempts to render animal feed areas free from insects and represents a significant advance in the art.